Sir William Pulteney, 5th
Baronet (October 1729 – 30 May 1805) was an eminent Scottish lawyer, Member
of Parliament, and at one time reputedly the wealthiest man in the Kingdom
of Great Britain. He invested in lands in America, and in developments in
Great Britain, including the Pulteney Bridge and other buildings in Bath,
buildings on the sea-front at Weymouth in Dorset, and roads in his native
Scotland. He was also a patron of architect Robert Adam and civil engineer
Thomas Telford.
Pulteney invested in land in
the West Indies and in what is today western New York state. The settlements
of Bath, Pulteney, Henrietta and Caledonia are evidence of his speculation
at the end of the 18th century, through 'The Pulteney Association' an agency
run by his agent Charles Williamson.
For more information about him see Wikipedia |